Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch
    Game on Aus
    • News
      ANZPL Season 4 Champions

      World Of Tanks ANZPL Season 4 Grand Final: Champions Decided In Sydney Derby

      June 27, 2022

      The ANZPL Season 4 Grand Final is here. The Sentinels take on the Skorpions to find out who will be the Season 4 champions!

      Best Console Digital Deals of the Week 24/6/2022

      June 23, 2022

      PlayStation has released it’s Mid-Year Sale offerings along with a few great choices for deals to be picked up on…

      Sentinels vs Skorpions to clash in World of Tanks ANZ Premier League Finals

      June 23, 2022

      [This press release has been provided by Wargaming PR and is presented by the GOA team for your information] The…

      Fall Guys is finally available on all platforms…and it’s free!

      June 22, 2022

      The wildly chaotic, battle royale-like party game, Fall Guys, has finally launched on all platforms. Up until today, Fall Guys…

      Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands finally comes to Steam this week

      June 22, 2022

      Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands may have launched on most platforms back in March, however Epic Games had exclusivity of the title…

      View All
    • Reviews

      The Quarry – The Review

      June 24, 2022

      OK readers, I have a secret to tell. And I might lose some of your respect after I tell you.…

      Necesse screenshot

      Necesse – the perfect blend of two iconic indie games

      June 23, 2022

      I really don’t know how to open this other than: more people need to be playing Necesse ASAP, it’s my…

      More D&D Monsters! A review of Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters Of The Multiverse

      June 22, 2022

      THERE are a lot of sourcebooks for Dungeons & Dragons out there. D&D 5e (the current edition) has something like…

      SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless Gaming Mouse Review

      June 19, 2022

      DESPITE never being the hugest fan of MMO/MOBA games, largely due to my lack of patience and willingness to invest…

      Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Portable Wireless Charger reviewed

      June 17, 2022

      POWERBANKS are a pretty straightforward piece of kit at this point – there’s a battery, in a case, and you…

      View All
    • Podcasts
      game on aus logo

      Predators Beware!

      June 23, 2022

      Stormie’s not well this week so Pete and Jim carry on! The lads chat how many lootboxes you need in…

      Episode 245 Hero Card

      Episode 245: Summer Games Fest!

      June 17, 2022

      Catch up with all the news from a weekend of announcement at Summer Games Fest! Pete, Stormie and Jim talk highlights and lowlights along with games that are just too big!

      Episode 244: Diablows?

      June 9, 2022

      Pete has some things to get off his chest about Diablo Immortal and new Pokemon while Stormie and Jim nod…

      GOA Pod 243

      Episode 243: Happy Birthday Solitaire!

      June 2, 2022

      The gang talk about their cozy Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband, licensing music for games…

      GOA Pod 242

      Episode 242: The Richie Benaud Episode Number

      May 26, 2022

      Two… two four two. Yes, episode 242 is here and like the late, great Richie, it’s marvellous. Pete and Jim…

      View All
    • Categories
      • BY PLATFORM
        • Playstation
        • Xbox
        • Nintendo
        • PC
        • Mobile
        • VR
        • Retro
      • BY GENRE
        • Action
        • Action-Adventure
        • Adventure
        • Battle Royale
        • Fighting
        • FPS
        • Horror Games
        • RPG
        • Simulation
        • Sports
        • MMORPG
        • MOBA
        • Party Game
        • Platformer
        • Puzzle
        • Strategy
        • Survival
        • Indie
      • GOA ESSENTIALS
        • Esports
        • Conventions
        • Tabletop
        • Hardware
        • Furniture
        • Funny
        • Streaming
        • Win
        • Podcast
        • Video
    • More
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
    Game on Aus
    Home » Elden Ring Hands-On Preview Impressions
    REVIEW

    Elden Ring Hands-On Preview Impressions

    Chris InglisBy Chris InglisDecember 4, 2021
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Early in November, Bandai Namco Australia sent Pete and I an Xbox Series X key to the Closed Network Test for upcoming fantasy action RPG, Elden Ring. Pete is a massive souls games fan, and I am willing to give them a try but usually they’re too hard for me. Dark Souls 1, Lords of the Fallen and the recent Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order have been my limits in the genre. I managed to get through Jedi Fallen Order after dropping the difficulty level (and, it’s Star Wars!). The others I played for a few hours each, but eventually I get stuck on one bloody tough boss, and it ends my patience. So, this first impressions preview will give you both sides of the souls coin from our perspectives.

    Developed by From Software, Elden Ring is set for release on February 25, 2022 on PC, PlayStation and Xbox and is high on the most-anticipated games lists for 2022. The initial thing that attracted me to Elden Ring was the fact that the game is set in the Lands Between, a new fantasy world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of the Dark Souls video game series, and George R. R. Martin, author of The New York Times best-selling fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. If you’re a souls game fan and love a damn good story, you’re in for a real treat here.

    The closed network test was held over a single weekend, with five 3-hour blocks where the servers were available. Now for Pete and I who are both Dads of young kids, and given the time zone differences, there were only two sessions we were likely to be able to play. As it happens, we were both only able to get into the Friday evening session, but it was enough for both of us to come away very keen for the full game. As mentioned, I’m not too fond of souls games and Pete bloody loves them, so here are Pete’s thoughts.


    I have a top 10 list of things in this life I love, and amongst family and fried chicken, souls games make that list – I’m not kidding. This weekend those games climbed into my top 3 with the opportunity to play Elden Ring.

    Being a test server, you’re told early on to disregard any developmental errors you may encounter. With that in mind, my only real question at this point was, “do we have another souls game on our hands here?” I am happy to report quite simply, yes, we do.

    Those familiar effects, cues, and general aesthetic are there. The gorgeously dark scripting of both story and world are there. The disturbing character design is there. “You Died” is there, more often than I care to tell you.

    Finally, and this is only a preview and I know I haven’t given you much but I’m hoping that simply telling you we have another Souls game is enough for now, but the open world is absolutely stunning in that classic From Software way. I don’t know how they do it time and again, but this studio manages to present a utopic vision with a constant edge of tension yet again here. A place that is beautiful, mysterious, and dangerous all at the same time.

    We have another Souls game on our hands, and I can hardly wait for the full game to land.


    I myself hadn’t done much reading about Elden Ring prior to this point as I like to go in fresh without any pre-conceived ideas so I can form my own uninfluenced opinion. What I did know though was that I was in for a hard time. That was indeed true, but that’s the core of a souls game. What I didn’t expect was the sheer size of the open world we can explore and I liked the presence of RPG elements carrying different weapons and armour, and stealth mechanics.

    Before getting into the action though, you need to choose your character class out of five options available – Warrior, Enchanted Knight, Prophet, Champion and Bloody Wolf. Pete chose Champion while I went with Warrior. Having now played for a couple of hours, I felt I was limited as a warrior because I had to open each fight, whereas I would have liked some form of range damage to draw a lone enemy from their position without alerting others, and to do some damage before they get into melee range. Pete agreed.

    The first time we stepped into Limgrave, we were taken aback by the enormity of the landscape, and the huge yellow glowing tree reaching into the sky in the distance. We could see some dense forest, ruined stone structures of long-past buildings, and a few roaming enemies. I died a lot to the first big roaming horseman in Limgrave, and in the end, rather than get frustrated, I just gave him a wide berth and explored beyond him. That’s the beauty of having a large open expanse to explore (and run away from baddies).

    I did manage to kill some smaller zombies and lone soldiers. As you kill enemies, you collect runes which are used as currency and to level up your character. Spread through the areas I visited were sites of grace (like bonfires in other games) allowing you to save the game and recharge health. If you do recharge your health, all enemies you just vanquished in that area will respawn. One other feature of these sites of grace is they show you a shining light that points in the direction of the next site of grace, giving you guidance as to the direction you should be heading. I found this helpful as, after spending some time sneaking around, dispatching lone enemies and stumbling into groups of them. I’d sometimes lose track of where I should be going, so having these beacons was great.

    The open-world environment of Elden Ring allowed me to assess battle encounters from afar, plotting how best to tackle them. There is one big, ruined stone camp full of enemies and I circled it to look for entry points, noting soldier patrol routes and spotting some chests to loot. There were a few soldiers I could pick and draw out on their own, and plenty of hiding spots I could wait in stealth to ambush a lone patrolling unit. After multiple deaths though, I wasn’t getting anywhere so moved further along the path. I came across a group of three slow-moving skeletons, but they still hit bloody hard. If you manage to take out groups of monsters like this though, you’ll get some bonus souls.

    Given how often I was dying and the end of the three hours was approaching, I thought I’d just explore more of the map so I could see new places and plan my next adventure later in the weekend. It’s here where I came across a hooded figure after resting at a site of grace. Her name was Melina and she had one eye closed over with scars. She explained about finger maidens who serve Two Fingers, offering guidance and aid to the Tarnished. She said I was maidenless, but she could play the role of maiden, turning rune fragments into strength and aid in my search for the Elden Ring. I needed to take her with me to the foot of the Erdtree. Whenever I rested at a site of grace, I could trade runes with her to level up.

    She also gave me a ring that could summon a spectral steed called Torrent which then opened up mounted combat, and much faster traversing of terrain. Torrent can die though, and you can resummon it but at the cost of one Flask of Crimson Tears. Mounted combat changed how I faced the next few battles in open fields. I was better able to dodge and get away from big attacks and come back around to do a side attack while I looped around them. I still died a heap, but it felt like a different form of combat for my warrior, enough to get my excited to play next session.

    We had hoped to join together to play co-op, which is possible in Elden Ring, however as Dad life happens, neither Pete or I could get on for another session that weekend. We both really enjoyed what we played thus far and we’re looking forward to the full release early next year. Veteran souls fans have a lot to be excited for with this game.

    Thanks to Bandai Namco Australia for access to this closed network test. We tested the game on the Xbox Series X which ran amazingly, and Elden Ring is set for release on February 25, 2022 on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

    #gameonAUS


    Written by: @ChrisJInglis

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleChorus Review – Fantastic space combat shooter
    Next Article The GOA 2021 Table-Top RPG Gift Guide

    Related Posts

    HORROR GAMES June 24, 2022

    The Quarry – The Review

    OK readers, I have a secret to tell. And I might lose some of your respect after I tell you.…

    Necesse screenshot
    REVIEW June 23, 2022

    Necesse – the perfect blend of two iconic indie games

    I really don’t know how to open this other than: more people need to be playing Necesse ASAP, it’s my…

    Subscribe

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    Ads
    Advertisement
    Categories
    • ACTION
    • ACTION-ADVENTURE
    • ADVENTURE
    • BATTLE ROYALE
    • CLOUD GAMING
    • CONVENTIONS
    • ESPORTS
    • FEATURE
    • FIGHTING
    • FPS
    • FUNNY
    • FURNITURE
    • GOA
    • HARDWARE
    • HORROR GAMES
    • INDIE
    • MMORPG
    • MOBA
    • MOBILE
    • NEWS
    • NINTENDO
    • Open-World
    • OPINION
    • PARTY GAME
    • PC
    • PLATFORMER
    • PLAYSTATION
    • PODCAST
    • PREVIEW
    • PUZZLE
    • RACING
    • RETRO
    • REVIEW
    • RPG
    • SIMULATION
    • SPORTS
    • STRATEGY
    • STREAMING
    • SURVIVAL
    • TABLETOP GAMING
    • TECH
    • VIDEO
    • VR
    • XBOX
    Related Article
    Minsc & Boo
    TABLETOP GAMING

    My favourite cards from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate

    June 27, 2022ArlentricBy Arlentric

    Dungeons & Dragons lore and storytelling meets the world’s most popular collectable card game: Magic: the Gathering in the recently released card set Commander Legends: Battle…

    ANZPL Season 4 Champions
    ESPORTS

    World Of Tanks ANZPL Season 4 Grand Final: Champions Decided In Sydney Derby

    June 27, 2022Darren 'Str8JaktJim' MacneallBy Darren 'Str8JaktJim' Macneall

    The ANZPL Season 4 Grand Final is here. The Sentinels take on the Skorpions to find out who will be the Season 4 champions!

    FEATURE

    Raven’s Top JPRGs to Play until Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

    June 26, 2022Rachael ArmstongBy Rachael Armstong

    JUST over a week ago, the next chapter of the Final Fantasy VII: Remake series of games was shown off. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth…

    Game on Australia Logo

    Game On Aus is an Australian games publication working across written, video and podcast, and supported by an ever-growing community of content creators and fans!

    Copyright GameOnAus 2022. Privacy Policy

    CONTENT
    • News
    • Gaming Reviews
    • Podcast
    • Tech
    • Indie
    ABOUT GOA
    • About Us
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.